Come On, Get Up, Let Me See Your Bruises
by Imadra Blue
Summary: When Obi-Wan and an eleven-year-old Anakin crash land on a muddy, dangerous planet, Anakin is badly injured. Obi-Wan is pushed to the limits, determined to save his young Padawan, even if it's at the cost of his own life. Gen.


**Disclaimer:** Star Wars and all its characters are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. No money is made and no copyright infringement is intended.  
**Warnings:** Violence, Injury  
**Notes:** Written for Usomitai, as a very belated birthday gift. Title inspired by "Bruises" by Unloco.  
**Beta Reader(s):** The lovely and talented Luthe.

...

Obi-Wan Kenobi could never say with any certainty exactly when he started loving Anakin Skywalker. He only knew it had happened sometime between the moment he had promised Anakin that he would train him to be a Jedi at Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral and the time Anakin almost died as a boy. Obi-Wan could, however, pinpoint the exact moment when he realized he loved his Padawan.

Anakin had been eleven, and Obi-Wan had thought he was going to lose him forever. Pain worse than even the misery he'd experienced over the loss of his old Master, Qui-Gon, had torn through Obi-Wan. He'd known then that he'd grown attached to his Padawan, more than any Jedi should. He'd grown so attached that he'd thought Anakin's death would result in his own, killing him from sheer heartbreak.

Obi-Wan figured anything that hurt that much had to be love.

...

"I don't _want_ to go home!" whined Anakin, his face scrunched up with defiance. "I _want_ to finish the mission."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms, frowning down at his young Padawan. "Regardless of what you want to do, no Padawan under thirteen is allowed in such a dangerous area. You're only eleven."

"But I've been in space battles before, Master! It's not fair!"

"And you survived that space battle by sheer dumb luck. There will be time enough for you to risk life and limb in space battles when you're older."

"Wasn't luck," insisted Anakin, pouting now. "I'm a good pilot."

"Be that as it may, my very young Padawan, the mission has been taken over by older and more capable Masters and their Padawans." Obi-Wan's patience was wearing thin. Everything was an argument with Anakin lately, from meditation to meals and now to missions.

Anakin stomped his foot, glaring up at Obi-Wan. "I _am_ capable! You just don't want to let me have any fun!"

"_Fun?_" asked Obi-Wan. "You have a very different idea of fun from mine if you think space battles are _fun._"

"Not everyone thinks reading Galactic History and meditating are fun."

Obi-Wan resisted the urge to tear his hair out, instead pointing to the back of the ship. "That's enough. We're going home, whether you like it or not. Now go to the back and strap yourself in."

"But, Master -"

"Go! Now!"

Anakin gave Obi-Wan a scowl that would probably be quite fearsome in a decade or so, but for the moment was almost comical on his elfin face. He spun on his heel, storming down the narrow passageway to the seating area in the back. He flung himself into one of the seats farthest away, glaring down the hallway at Obi-Wan. His expression suggested Obi-Wan had just murdered his pet ritenpup, rather than simply deny him a chance to fight in a space battle.

"Strap yourself in, Anakin! I mean it!" called Obi-Wan.

Anakin only stuck his tongue out at him. Obi-Wan closed his eyes. There were many times when he wanted to shove Anakin out of airlock, and this was one of them. The boy's behavior was insufferable. Obi-Wan didn't have the patience to deal with small children. If he hadn't been saddled with caring for Anakin around the clock - and it was a full-time job, given the scrapes the boy got himself into - _he_ would have been back at Coresa Moon Junction, helping his fellow Jedi against the crime syndicate housed there. He and Anakin had rightfully found the syndicate's location on their own, but were strictly forbidden from engaging in battle. It frustrated Obi-Wan. It was _his_ find, and he would get little recognition for it. Instead of taking down the syndicate himself, he had to baby-sit a small boy who wouldn't even listen to him.

"Fine," said Obi-Wan when Anakin crossed his arms, obviously not intending on strapping himself in. "If you get thrown into a wall and your skull splits open, it will be your own fault."

"I hope my skull splits open! It'd be something interesting to do! And then I would be in the infirmary and away from _you!_"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see what I can arrange." Obi-Wan turned down the passageway and came out onto the compact bridge, trying to compose himself. He was beginning to understand why some species ate their young.

Bien Tar, the Owaren pilot of the _Wandering Star_, turned as Obi-Wan entered. There was a smile on his striped face. His co-pilot, Lita Jareff, looked equally amused. Obi-Wan crossed his arms and frowned.

"Nice to know even Jedi had problems with their younglings," said Bien, navigating the small Republic cruiser through the rocky asteroid field outside the Junction. Lita only snickered.

"He's not my child."

"Padawan. Child. Same difference, I expect. Same arguments, too." Bien shrugged. "Younglings of all species and all walks of life will give you grief. If you put up with it and manage to let them survive to adulthood, you earn the rather dubious title of 'parent'. Least, that's how I figure it. I've got two younglings myself. One's right around your boy's age, and she knows how to push all my buttons, too."

Obi-Wan massaged his forehead. He didn't want to be having this conversation right now. "How long before we get out of the asteroid field and can go into hyperspace?"

"Not long now. The asteroid field stretches across the whole system. We're almost to the last planet in the system."

Obi-Wan only nodded, staring out the front viewport. The rock-strewn star system of Coresa-Ra stretched out in front of them. The dim light from the twin suns was weak this far out, but Coresa-Ra IX still housed life on its muddy surface. It was a cold, swampy planet lacking sentient life, and it looked dark and foreboding to Obi-Wan as it loomed in front of the cruiser.

The cruiser suddenly rocked. Obi-Wan grappled for a handle on the smooth-walled bridge, finding a metal bar just as the cruiser rocked again, more violently this time. That was no asteroid hit; that was blaster fire.

"We've got a severe problem," said Lita, her hands working furiously over the control panel.

"What sort of problem?" The ship shuddered and shook as another round of blaster fire hit it, and all Obi-Wan could think of was that Anakin probably thought Obi-Wan was doing this to spite him.

"We've got a well-armed cruiser on our tail. Someone must have tracked us when we left the Junction!" said Lita, her swarthy face registering alarm.

"Well, fire back!" said Obi-Wan.

"We can't. There aren't any weapons here. This is just a transport ship," snapped Lita.

Bien's voice sounded hollow. "We're losing the rear shields."

If there was a point to start panicking, they were well past it. The ship continued to rock, rumbling underneath Obi-Wan's feet. Bien and Lita worked furiously over the controls. They drew closer to Coresa-Ra IX, its muddy surface looking as though it meant to swallow them whole.

There was a popping sound and the painful screech of metal rending. The ship bucked so violently that Obi-Wan's hold on the metal bar was broken and he slammed into another wall. "We're going to crash!" cried Bien as they streaked into the upper atmosphere. "I'm sending out a distress call!"

Obi-Wan heard the sound of a child crying out in pain, and he suddenly remembered Anakin was still in the back. "Anakin!" he cried, coming to his feet and stumbling down the passageway that connected bridge to seating area. The ship continued to shake, and Obi-Wan could hear things breaking off outside.

Anakin was sitting on the floor, a small hand gingerly touching a huge knot on his forehead. "This isn't funny, Master," he said, blue eyes wide.

"Anakin, get strapped in! We're being shot down!"

"Whuh?" asked Anakin, blinking stupidly.

The ship suddenly bucked violently, throwing him up into the air. Obi-Wan bounced painfully off a wall and onto the floor. He tried to move towards Anakin. "Anakin!"

"This is for _real_?" Anakin sprang to his feet.

"Yes!" cried Obi-Wan, feeling slightly panicked. He could feel the ship tearing itself to pieces, feel the wind rushing by as they descended, feel the strain on the metal shell. He reached for Anakin's hand just as the ship started to buck wildly, metal screeching as it was rent to pieces around them. "Anakin, grab my -!"

He never finished that statement as the wind stole the words from his mouth. The back half of the ship broke right off, as if snapped by giant, invisible hands. Obi-Wan grabbed some piping as it popped free, stopping his flight out the back. He grabbed Anakin's wrist just as the boy passed him; Anakin screamed in surprise and fright. Obi-Wan tried to ignore the durasteel bulkheads peeling back like flimsiplast and focused on the Force, on keeping Anakin from flying out of the ship.

Misty air rushed in, bringing with it the strange tang of salty air, mud, and decomposing plant life. Dark, tangled branches of impossibly tall trees raced passed Obi-Wan's vision, and the suction threatened to yank Anakin away.

"Master!" screamed Anakin, his small body twisting in the air. Fear had been etched into every curve of his young face, and his eyes were so wide, so blue, that Obi-Wan thought they'd swallow him.

Obi-Wan tightened his grip, sweat and gravity working against him. He clutched onto the piping, trying to summon the Force to strengthen his hold, but it took all he had just to keep himself from flying out of the back of the ship.

"Master! Don't let me go!" sobbed Anakin, cracking Obi-Wan's heart open with each passing syllable. He kept trying to grab Obi-Wan's wrist with his free hand, but the bucking of the ship was too violent. Anakin's wrist slid through Obi-Wan's grasp, leaving only his small hand against Obi-Wan's palm.

Obi-Wan held his breath, as if he could keep his slipping grip on Anakin by denying himself oxygen. Another great rush of air popped his ears, still pulling Anakin away as they raced past the trees to the muddy surface of the planet. His heart beat so fast that it felt like it might explode out of his chest at any moment. Obi-Wan realized, without a doubt, that if Anakin died, he would die with him. He couldn't bear to lose him. As much as Qui-Gon had meant to Obi-Wan, Anakin was his whole life now.

"I won't let you go," said Obi-Wan between clenched teeth, every muscle in his body straining to keep his grip on Anakin's hand as the _Wandering Star_ was torn to shreds around him. "Not ever."

Obi-Wan didn't know it then, but the forces of nature were already conspiring to make a liar out of him. The ship bucked and twisted in the air, screaming through the air as more blaster fire ripped into the side. A shard of durasteel broke off the once-smooth wall and pierced Obi-Wan's side, a sharp pain he hardly noticed as the wind tore Anakin from his grasp, stubby fingers sliding away from Obi-Wan's.

The wind whipped Anakin out of the ship, sending him flying through the treetops. The noise of the ship crashing drowned out his screaming, but Obi-Wan could hear it all the same. It took him several seconds to realize Anakin was _gone_.

Tears blurred his vision, and then the _Wandering Star_ slammed into the mud. Obi-Wan's head bounced off a durasteel girder, and he knew no more.

...

"ANAKIN!"

Obi-Wan bolted upright, his side screaming in pain. He shuddered, blinking his eyes to find Lita bent over him. Half her face was covered in mud and blood, and her flightsuit tattered. "Master Kenobi!" she said in surprise. "You're alive!"

"Where's Anakin?" demanded Obi-Wan, forcing himself to his feet. His side felt as if it were on fire, and when he put his palm to it, he came away with a handful of blood.

"I can't find the little boy anywhere. And Bien... he... he's dead..." Lita gave a little sob. Obi-Wan felt a passing sense of loss for the man, thinking of his two younglings, but it didn't matter now. He had to find _Anakin_.

Obi-Wan reached out into the Force, searching for something, anything, that might resemble Anakin. He sensed what felt like a homing beacon in the Force some distance away, a being resonating with pain, misery, and fear. It was Anakin; it _had_ to be. Obi-Wan never entertained the possibility that Anakin was dead. He was too convinced that he'd already be dead if that was the case.

"This way," he choked out, pointing in Anakin's direction. "We have to find my Padawan."

Lita gestured at his torso. "Master Kenobi, you're bleeding. I should find a medkit and see if I can -"

"I'm _fine_. Right now, there's a little boy who needs us," he snapped out, pushing past her. His head ached, and it was difficult to think clearly.

Obi-Wan stumbled out of the wreckage, looking around. To call this mudhole a swamp seemed optimistic. It was very simply a muddy surface devoid of any life but the leafless trees that reached high enough to be skyscrapers. Only rocks and the great roots of the trees stretched out on the ground in front of him. What remained of the _Wandering Star_ was splattered with thick mud. It seemed to have softened their impact, and given the speed Obi-Wan knew they'd been traveling at, had no doubt saved their lives. Obi-Wan glanced up at the sky, but the enemy ship was long gone, no doubt assuming they were all dead.

Coresa-Ra IX was a dark planet, covered in mists even at high altitudes. What little light there was seemed ambient, the skies a uniform gray. Obi-Wan shivered and started to limp towards where Anakin was.

Obi-Wan's side continued to ache as he walked, so he ripped a strip of cloth off the bottom of his robe and tied it around his waist. It helped with the pain and would hopefully stop the bleeding. Lita followed him, clutching a blaster to her chest. It shook in her hand, and Obi-Wan knew she was quite possibly injured, but he frankly didn't care. All that mattered now was finding Anakin.

The closer Obi-Wan got to Anakin, the more he could sense the boy's pain. It rolled off him and spread through the Force like wildfire. Obi-Wan forgot all about his own pain, far more concerned with what state he would find Anakin in.

The air was thin, and Obi-Wan and Lita panted heavily. They didn't speak to each other, instead traveling near blind through twisted, black trees, up to their ankles in mud. After almost an hour of walking, Obi-Wan was rewarded for his efforts. He found Anakin lying unconscious in the mud, near the hump of a giant tree root.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried, sprinting towards the boy. His heart was in his throat, and he dropped to his knees beside Anakin, inspecting him for injury.

Anakin stirred at Obi-Wan's touch. His nose was broken, but he was still able to slit open his bruised eyes. "Master...?" he asked in a weak voice, seeming surprised.

"Anakin, can you walk, are you all right, do you -" Obi-Wan cut himself off when Anakin screamed as he poked his legs. He licked his lips, realizing Anakin's legs were both broken. Pieces of bone had punched through Anakin's skin, blood running down his tattered trousers legs.

"Master... don't touch," panted Anakin, tears running down his face. "Hurts."

Obi-Wan had seen broken bones before. In fact, when he had been fourteen, he'd shattered his femur on a bad fall from the top of a tower. Blood, gore, and injury had never affected him before, but the sight of _Anakin_ lying in the mud, both legs broken, made him sick. He pressed a palm to Anakin's cheek, finding it hard to see again. This was all Obi-Wan's fault; he hadn't been strong enough. Obi-Wan wiped his eyes, smearing mud and a bit of blood across his face. He wasn't sure if it was Anakin's blood or his own.

"Hurts," Anakin repeated in small voice, turning his face. He looked pale underneath the mud and blood streaking his face. Obi-Wan checked the rest of him for broken bones, using the Force more than his touch. The list of injuries grew: three ribs broken, his left forearm fractured, skin on his back rubbed raw, and more bruises than Obi-Wan could count. His major organs had been spared, and while his injuries were severe, they were not mortal if he received care soon. Both of Anakin's femurs had been spared, and most of the damage seemed to be from the knee down. That Anakin had landed so well at the speeds he'd been blown out of the crashing starship was testimony to his unusual powers.

Obi-Wan did what he could, trying to alleviate Anakin's pain through the Force, deadening the nerves he could. It required he become one with Anakin's body in more intimate ways than even a lover could ever attain; he could feel every heartbeat as it were his own. Every stretch of a muscle, twitch of a nerve, and breath taken by Anakin were Obi-Wan's for a brief moment. He was surprised to attain unity with Anakin's body so easily; Obi-Wan was not the sort of man who melded easily with others. He was no healer, and he possibly numbed more of Anakin than necessary in some spots, but not enough in others. Obi-Wan found himself wishing he'd let Lita find the medkit now. It had been _stupid_ not to let her do it. Another mistake.

Obi-Wan pulled back, looking down at Anakin. The boy's gaze was fixed on Obi-Wan's face, his breathing ragged - and matching the rise and fall of Obi-Wan's chest now. An echo of the link Obi-Wan had forged to numb his pain remained, mingling their senses. Obi-Wan stroked Anakin's face, feeling a ghost of the sensation on his own cheek. Anakin's eyes went wide, an impossibly dark blue in the ambient light.

"We're going to take you back to the ship, Anakin, so we can wait for help to arrive. It's going to hurt when I move you." Obi-Wan bent down, slipping a hand underneath Anakin's head, lifting him up a little as he gingerly reached down to pick up Anakin's legs. He hesitated.

"You let me go."

Obi-Wan froze and looked into Anakin's face. Anakin's expression was petulant, full of childish hurt that had nothing to do with his wounds. The words stung worse than a whipvine across the cheek. Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. You were ripped away from me. I wouldn't let you go."

Anakin looked like he didn't quite believe Obi-Wan, but he didn't comment on it as he watched Obi-Wan's hand gingerly descend on the knee that wasn't shattered. "How much will it hurt?" he asked.

"A lot."

Anakin only closed his eyes and wet his lips, pink tongue darting out.

Obi-Wan licked his lips as well, sliding his hand under Anakin's legs, passing through the cool mud underneath him. The pain echoed across Obi-Wan's legs, and Anakin made small noises, like an injured animal. Obi-Wan braced himself, then pulled Anakin out of the mud with a great heave.

The pain flashed across his senses, blinding him for a moment. Obi-Wan's legs trembled in sympathy; it was as if someone had pumped them full of blaster bolts. If he hadn't already been on his knees, he would have fallen down. And this was just an _echo_ of what Anakin was feeling.

Anakin was beyond screaming, head thrown back, face contorted in agony. Obi-Wan's heart broke again at the sight. He didn't want Anakin to hurt this badly. He clutched Anakin's shoulders, holding him in his lap until the worst of the pain subsided. Anakin shuddered, his breathing erratic and wild, hands opening and closing. Eventually, he stopped shaking.

Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin's fractured forearm, but it wasn't too bad. Anakin still had his grip. "Anakin, I'm going to shift you onto my back, so you can ride pekoback. You just keep your arms around my neck, and I'll keep a grip on your thighs, all right?"

"Yes... Master." This was the first time Anakin hadn't offered him an argument about something, acquiescing to Obi-Wan without a challenge to his authority. It made Obi-Wan worry about him even more.

The move of Anakin to his back was made more difficult by Obi-Wan's attempt not to destroy his legs even further. The pain wasn't nearly as severe, but it still sent tremors through Obi-Wan's legs. It continued until well after Anakin was pressed against his back, legs spread wide around Obi-Wan's waist, each thigh gripped by one of Obi-Wan's hands.

It wasn't until that moment, when Obi-Wan staggered to his feet, Anakin on his back, that he wondered where Lita was. He glanced around the small clearing, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Lita?" he called tentatively, senses tingling. Something was dangerously amiss.

Anakin buried his face in Obi-Wan's shoulder, his thin arms clutching Obi-Wan as tightly as his fracture would allow. "Want to go home," he moaned.

Obi-Wan squeezed his thighs and moved out, the mud slurping at his ankles. It was darker than when he'd first arrived; he wondered if this place had sunsets and did not look forward to stumbling around in the dark. "Lita?" he called again.

There was no answer, but for the slurping of the mud. A slurping of the mud off in the distance, not around his ankles. Something was headed right towards them. Danger flared across Obi-Wan's senses, and he broke into a run. He couldn't afford a fight. Not now, not with Anakin injured and on his back.

Anakin gasped in pain at the sudden jolt of Obi-Wan running. Confusion and fear rolled off Anakin, mingling with Obi-Wan's own. It was Anakin that Obi-Wan feared for, not himself. He ran as fast as he could, one foot pounding into the mud after another. He could _feel_ something chasing them, something big, something fast, and something deadly.

"Master... Kenobi..."

Obi-Wan half-turned, almost slipping on the mud. Lita stumbled out from between the dark trees, staring at him. She'd been badly scratched up, her flightsuit covered in fresh blood. She looked dazed, her hair sweat-stuck to the side of her face. Obi-Wan stretched out his hand towards her, only to see a huge, dark-furred beast lope towards him, its flat face gleaming with malicious anticipation. The danger that Obi-Wan sensed was radiating straight from it.

That left Obi-Wan with two choices: stay and fight the beast, endangering Anakin even further, or run and leave Lita to her fate.

Obi-Wan turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could, using the Force to aid his speed as much as possible. Anakin cried out in pain from bumpy ride, but it was over quickly, leaving Obi-Wan spent. He leaned against a tree when he came to a stop, pressing his face against its smooth bark as he tried to catch his breath. Anakin panted as well, his small chest heaving against Obi-Wan's back. He felt Obi-Wan's exertion as much as Obi-Wan felt his pain.

They were closer to the wreckage of the _Wandering Star_, but were still easily a good twenty to thirty minutes away. Obi-Wan's side ached more than ever, and he could feel blood dripping down his waist. He ignored it as he pushed off the tree and started down the path, his grip on Anakin's thighs firm.

Obi-Wan tried not to think of the terrified look that had been on Lita's face before she died.

...

Everything looked the same to Anakin. Dark trees surrounded them like towers made of wood. Black mud splashed at Obi-Wan's feet, staining both of them. Cold mist hung in the air, making Anakin shiver. The cloud-shadowed sky forbade the sun from shining. It was a planet that seemed to be made of gloom; a landscape that meant to haunt small children's nightmares.

Anakin would have held onto Obi-Wan tighter, but his arm hurt too much. Everything hurt, but what was scary was that the pain was starting to fade now, as if Anakin were going numb. He didn't like being numb. He figured if he couldn't feel, he was dead.

"Master. You're tired. You should rest," he whispered. Anakin didn't understand how Obi-Wan could keep walking, as tired as he was.

"I'm fine. We have to get back to the ship. The captain..." Obi-Wan paused and swallowed, an emotion approaching despair searing across his signature in the Force, before ending as abruptly as it had come. "... the captain sent out a distress signal before we crashed. They'll look for us there."

Anakin fell silent, lost to a wave of fresh pain as Obi-Wan had to leap over an immense root blocking their path. It hurt so much he thought he might pass out, but he forced himself to work through it. If he passed out, Obi-Wan might, too. They had some weird link ever since Obi-Wan had tried to help with the pain. Anakin didn't understand it, but he knew the connection was strong.

They reached a small clearing, and Obi-Wan drew up short, breathing heavily. Anakin buried his face in the back of Obi-Wan's longish brown hair. It was damp with sweat, smelling of blood and hyperdrive coolant - some must have spilled on him in the crash. Anakin was cold and scared. It took him several moments to work out some of the fear was from Obi-Wan, not just himself.

"Master...?"

"Something. There's something nearby."

Anakin never got a chance to ask exactly what was nearby, as the something burst out of the trees, charging them at them with a roar. Anakin screamed, recognizing the giant, furred beast with a flat face that had been chasing them earlier. He quickly realized it wasn't the same beast at all. This one had a thick horn jutting from its misshapen skull and stood three men high. Its flat teeth gleamed in the weak light, and it was almost on them.

Obi-Wan had no choice. Anakin knew it; Obi-Wan knew it.

Anakin braced himself as best he could as Obi-Wan dropped him. The back of Anakin's head slammed into a rock, sending sparks of pain through his skull. Obi-Wan had tried to throw him on his back to avoid hurting his legs any further, but the jarring sensation and his raw skin made the pain worse in any case. Everything around Anakin started to shift and blur, appearing like a bad holotransmission. He caught a glimpse of a green blade burning through the darkness and heard the beast roar in pain. Anakin's vision cleared just as Obi-Wan sailed into the air, flung into the trees. Fresh blood sprayed out of him as he flew, spilling onto the mud below.

Anakin couldn't move as the beast lowered its horn, its mad red eyes glinting at him. He was frozen to the spot by fear, pain, injury - he couldn't tell the difference anymore. He gulped for air, his eyes burning as the beast reared up, preparing to trample him with its great hooves.

There was another flash of green light, and Anakin gasped as Obi-Wan leapt from the trees, lightsaber arcing out towards the beast. It roared again, shaking the ground, and turned to face Obi-Wan. The scene dazzled Anakin's eyes; he could hardly keep up. He'd never seen Obi-Wan like this before, bearded face intent, blue-gray eyes filled with anger. It was an expression Anakin had only seen once before, on his mother. At the age of five, Tusken Raiders had attacked Anakin and his mother while on a trip to buy droids off Jawas for Watto, and she'd done her best to protect him as he sped Watto's landspeeder away. It somehow comforted Anakin to see the same expression on Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan finally cut through the thick hide of the beast. A high pitched scream pierced the air, and the beast slumped into the mud, utterly still as smoke wafted up from its corpse, mingling with the thin mist. The green blade of Qui-Gon's old lightsaber slid back into the hilt, and Obi-Wan knelt beside Anakin, concern and guilt etched into his face.

"Anakin? Anakin, speak to me!"

But Anakin couldn't. He opened his mouth, but only a wordless croak escaped. He couldn't feel anything more than a dull ache now, not even when Obi-Wan pulled him out of the mud again, cradling Anakin in his arms as if he were a small youngling. Anakin could hardly even feel Obi-Wan's arms around him. The world swam before his eyes.

"Anakin!"

Anakin's eyes closed, overcome with exhaustion. He felt warm now, comfortable in Obi-Wan's arms, safe, and -

"Anakin, wake up! Don't go to sleep! You have a concussion!"

Obi-Wan shook him, and Anakin's eyes flew open. They were moving now, the dark trees whizzing by. Anakin felt pain now, but it wasn't his own. He felt the wound in Obi-Wan's side stab at him; the fight with the beast had made it worse. He could feel the exhaustion, both his and Obi-Wan's, and the desperation. He wanted to tell Obi-Wan it was all right, because when he woke up, they'd be rescued.

"Please stay awake, Anakin. Please." Obi-Wan was begging. Obi-Wan had never begged for anything as long as Anakin had known him.

Anakin kept his eyes open, but it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. He focused on the sound of Obi-Wan's heartbeat, his breathing. He tried to say something, but no noise came out, so he gave up. Every time he tried to nod off, Obi-Wan shook him. Anakin couldn't see well enough to tell where they were, but time quickly passed. Anakin closed his eyes just as Obi-Wan came to a stop.

"We're here. Wake up, Anakin!"

Obi-Wan shook him again, but Anakin felt it impossible to open his eyes. He was cold now, cold to the core of his being. He could feel Obi-Wan sitting down, cradling Anakin in his lap, fingers gently probing Anakin's face.

"Please, Anakin. Please, don't go to sleep."

Despite this plea, Anakin started to drift off, Obi-Wan's voice growing more distant. He felt a rocking sensation, the feel of Obi-Wan's new beard brushing against his cheek, Obi-Wan's arms wrapped around him. These sensations soon faded, replaced by the growing nothingness. Anakin would only sleep for a little while, just a little while...

"Please, don't leave me like Qui-Gon did."

Obi-Wan sounded no older than Anakin at that moment. The pain in his voice roused Anakin, pulling him away from the comforting darkness. He opened his eyes, staring into Obi-Wan's wide blue-gray ones - the only things he could see. Anakin managed a weak smile. He'd been so angry with Obi-Wan earlier, so convinced Obi-Wan hated him and was making his life miserable out of pure spite. Anakin was going to die, and he knew it, but at least he'd die on good terms with Obi-Wan.

"I'm not going to let you die, Anakin."

Obi-Wan's hand cupped Anakin's cheek, and the sensation of _Obi-Wan_ filled Anakin's being.

Anakin reflected he might not die right then, after all.

...

Anakin Skywalker could never say with any certainty exactly when he started loving Obi-Wan Kenobi. He only knew it had happened sometime between the moment Obi-Wan had promised Anakin that he would train him to be a Jedi at Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral and the time Anakin almost died as a boy. Anakin could, however, pinpoint the exact moment when he realized he loved his Master.

Anakin was eleven and thought he was going to die in Obi-Wan's arms. Obi-Wan saved him, melding his consciousness to Anakin's body through the Force, keeping him awake and breathing until the rescue team arrived. It was a dangerous technique, the melding of mind to another's body. It did not create or preserve life, and had Anakin died, Obi-Wan would have gone with him. It had created a link between them, a link where Anakin had felt Obi-Wan's heartbreak over Anakin's injuries. It had hurt Anakin as well, Obi-Wan's pain becoming his own.

Anakin figured anything that hurt that much had to be love.

_End._


End file.
